Authorized Authority
The Franklin and other Such Heavy Handed Market Forces
In the bustling hub of New York's financial district, where the clinks of coins and rustles of dollar bills are hymns to commerce, Sophia found herself at odds with her surroundings. She had taken to sitting on the marble steps of the old Custom House, watching the flow of suits and briefcases, pondering the disparity between worth and value. It was a place where fortunes were made and lost, where the chiseled face of Benjamin Franklin on a hundred-dollar bill seemed to offer a tacit nod of approval to those who wielded him well. But Sophia's mind was on another currency, one of wisdom and understanding, commodities she found in short supply amidst the financial frenzy.
It is not wisdom but Authority that makes a law.
— Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679)
Sophia couldn’t help but smirk as the quote from Hobbes echoed in her mind, a sentiment that seemed to manifest itself in the architecture around her, in the very air she breathed amidst the canyons of commerce. She had seen enough to know that the laws of the market were indeed dictated by authority – not by the sagacity of the decision-makers, but rather by their ability to command and consolidate power.
Alexander, a young banker with a quick smile and an even quicker mind for numbers, stepped out of the revolving doors of his building and immediately spotted Sophia. They had met during an economic seminar, where debates over fiscal policy had revealed a shared penchant for philosophical meanderings. Alexander walked over, his gait betraying a lightness at odds with the gravity of his profession.
They often debated the minutiae of market forces and the philosophies behind them, finding humor in the seriousness with which the world treated the almighty dollar. On this particular afternoon, the topic at hand was the notion of legalism and morality in the financial sector.
Alexander, ever the provocateur, teased, "Sophia, my dear skeptic, do you really believe that wisdom has a chance against the iron fist of market laws? Haven't you learned by now that the scales of finance are tipped by the heavy hand of authority?"
Sophia raised an eyebrow and countered, "Oh, but Alex, consider this: if authority is the only law, what happens when wisdom decides to take a holiday? Chaos in theory, but farce in practice."
Their laughter mingled with the cacophony of the city, a light-hearted defiance against the stern statues of historical figures that stood witness to their revelry. As the afternoon waned, Sophia and Alexander continued their repartee, unburdened by the weight of the currency they critiqued, finding freedom in the very system they questioned. It was an intricate dance of intellect and wit that made their discussions a humorous ballet played out on the grand stage of capitalism.
They were the modern jesters in the court of commerce, poking fun at the market forces that dictated their lives, yet never fully succumbing to the cynicism that lay in wait. In a world where Franklin's gaze was ubiquitous, they chose to look through eyes that sought the value beyond the veneer of wealth.
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Heraclitus
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